5 Things Students want from their Alumni

Posted on Monday, July 27th, 2015 by Çağla Akbaş Tags: 5 Things, Alumni, Alumni Student Connect, student

Alumni are the only community that can understand the students of their Alma mater and the shortcomings of their college. Rightfully, students have some ‘desires’ from their alumni. We asked students what were the top 5 things they wanted from their alumni:

Provide an internship/placement opportunity

It is really important for students to obtain a good work experience through their alumni. The opportunities for students in alumni companies will not only give students global exposure but the organizations will also benefit from fresh and creative ideas. Unless students don’t match the profile completely, alumni can use their network to help students find relevant opportunities for them. From the students’ point of view, alumni are the ones who can shape the next generation.
Be an Alumni Mentor

Alumni can be mentors for students by sharing their educational and professional experience. Students want alumni to help them on their path to success. So alumni need to encourage them to try new things as a motivator, introduce them to new people, make them have professional contacts as a resource, make students believe that they can achieve their goals as a coach, and offer career advice.
Support students through scholarships and project funding

For students, it is really important to learn and grow under alumni’s care and support. They have a lot of innovative ideas and projects which are waiting to be sponsored. They expect alumni to give them an opportunity of implementing these ideas by way of financial support. There are some super talented and smart students who can get scholarships from alumni to use opportunities like academic competitions and tournaments. Students believe that alumni have the power to inspire and support them and the power of being a part of tomorrow’s community of successful professionals.
Share your experience and knowledge

Students want alumni to share their professional knowledge and expertise with them and to help them prepare for life after study. Whether students are exploring majors or career options or searching for a job that aligns with an alumnus, talking to the ones who have been in their shoes can help them.
Join events and reunions

Students are looking forward to meet and get to know their alumni in events and reunions. These events help maintain strong affiliations with alumni and current students, and provide avenues for personal and professional development. Increasing their knowledge, building their network and making a connection with alumni are just a few opportunities for alumni and students. Students can learn a lot from alumni which is why they want to see increase in participation at all forums from alumni.